Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Mayer’s The AARP Caregiver Answer Book is a practical guide for individuals who choose to become caregivers or unexpectedly find themselves caring for an aging, chronically ill, or disabled loved one. The book is for caregivers at any stage of the process. Both authors are clinical psychologists with 30 years supporting caregivers, drawing from therapy sessions, workshops, professional presentations, and everyday conversations with friends and neighbors. They also share their personal caregiving experiences from 2008 to 2017, which adds authenticity and understanding in their writing. They introduce and coin the term “care receiver” to describe the person receiving care and intentionally center the dignity of the individual’s identity and humanity, not just their diagnosis.
Across thirteen chapters, the authors answer common questions caregivers face, from accepting the identity of “caregiver” to balancing competing roles, maintaining emotional well-being, and understanding medical and residential care options. The book begins by helping readers recognize themselves as caregivers, even if they simply view their role as “helping out.” The authors define various caregiving roles (e.g., advocate, care manager, companion, health care provider) and encourage readers to consider three important reflective factors: emotional and physical capacity, availability, and willingness to sacrifice time and energy.
Later chapters guide readers through assessing a loved one’s diagnosis, severity of the illness, functional status, and prognosis, connecting that information to realistic caregiving expectations. The book addresses the emotional, physical, social, mental, and even sexual toll caregiving can take, offering guidance on balancing self-care, boundaries, and guilt. I appreciated the discussion on overfunctioning versus underfunctioning, maintaining a loved one’s agency and independence, distinguishing normal age-related cognitive changes from dementia, and adjusting to transitions such as skilled nursing placement. The practical resources—support groups, websites, and medication management apps—make this a helpful guide for families who may not know where to start and point them to resources they can actually use.
Although the text is comprehensive in many practical areas by Chapter 5, the book is less inclusive in its early chapters. Much of the narrative reflects dominant cultural norms and does not meaningfully explore or engage diverse caregiving traditions, family systems, and support networks across race, ethnicity, and culture until later. Given projected demographic shifts in the United States, where older adults will make up a growing portion of the population by 2050, and more than one-quarter of adults live with a disability, earlier integration of culturally responsive perspectives would have strengthened the book.
Discussion of trust in health professionals would benefit from acknowledging medical mistrust that exists in communities with longstanding histories of inequity, harm, and power imbalances within health care systems. The suggestion that teenagers be paid for caregiving may not align with family-centered cultures and intergenerational traditions, where caregiving is understood as a collective duty rooted in traditions of elder care and filial responsibility. For social workers committed to health equity and anti-oppressive, culturally responsive practice, these gaps represent a notable limitation and serve as a reminder that caregiving is not one-size-fits-all.
Overall, the book is a psychoeducational resource for caregivers, social workers, and educators. For social work students and practitioners, it provides practical framing of caregiver stress, supports the development of care plans, and offers guidance on linking clients to resources. Case examples and psychological insights help students and practitioners understand family dynamics and gain a clinical perspective on the caregiving process. For educators, the book opens space to discuss gaps in cultural inclusivity, cultural responsiveness, health equity, and equitable caregiving practices. For clients and caregivers, it offers reassurance that they are not alone, helping them feel supported and less isolated in their caregiving roles.
Reviewed by Dr. LaToia Carter, DSW, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker with more than 20 years of experience across hospice and palliative care, the school system, juvenile justice, homelessness, and community mental health settings. She has nearly a decade of specialized practice in hospice and palliative care, supporting individuals, families, and caregivers as they navigate serious illness, advanced disease, end-of-life transitions, and complex medical decision-making. Throughout her clinical career, Dr. Carter has supported caregivers facing anticipatory grief, shifting family roles, cultural expectations, and systemic health care barriers. She has worked collaboratively within interdisciplinary teams and has witnessed firsthand the emotional, ethical, and cultural complexities that caregiving brings. Dr. Carter is committed to advancing health equity, culturally responsive service delivery, and anti-oppressive frameworks, bridging social work education and frontline caregiving practice.